Come to Rome, Darling - Part Two - The Vatican

View from Vatican window

Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you are enjoying the sweet, simple 

pleasures of Autumn, which is passing ever so quickly on its steady 

march through time. 

Fall is my favorite season, and I am happily soaking in 

the beautiful colors and golden light at every opportunity. 

But my heart is still in Italy, and as I recall sweet memories, 

I invite you to come along and do some armchair traveling 

as we continue on our tour of Rome. 

Today, we will visit  The Vatican. 

I could not possibly take a photo of the whole of it, but if 

you click on the link, you can read the history and 

see some excellent, wide-angle views of the exterior. 

I will simply give you my personal impressions......

The Vatican - oh my goodness - it was overwhelming, 

with hundreds, maybe thousands of sculptures

carved from marble; from 'simple' heads or busts, to 

extremely large sculptures, so intricate and detailed 

that you are inclined to believe they were once living,

 breathing beings now entombed in stone. 

Son, Dustin and wife Jen viewing 'the hall of heads' as we called it.

This one looks remarkably like my Father. 

xoxo

Notice the 'big toe'

 There were fantastical figures, creatures and Angels of all kinds. 

Some were rather graphic......

The Roman Conqueror in action,

depicted through one of the highest forms of art.

The juxtaposition of sublime and savage. 

The history of our world. 

I loved this painting, which was floor to ceiling
and so luminous as to appear to be real.

There were paintings and tapestries and domed ceilings

with long hallways .......

Large windows - many open to let in welcome breezes - 

look out over courtyards and city scenes 

of tiled roofs, cypress trees and distant domes.

Marble stairways carried us up and down to amazing

sights of mosaic floors, giant urns, and larger than life 

marble sculptures in chamber after chamber. 

Finally, we arrived at St. Peter's Basilica - 'The Holy Vatican Church'. 

An amazing and enormous space, so filled with beauty

that you are left standing in awe, looking towards 

the heavens and imagining you might well be there. 

Where the Pope presides

xoxo

We entered The Sistine Chapel under heavy guard

and shouts of "No Photos!" in Italian from very 

imposing guards as we were ushered forward in a large surge

of people - so many people - as we gazed awe-struck 

at Michael Angelo's paintings on the walls and ceilings,

 as the Angels hover overhead to encourage man-kind
to look ever upward towards a higher purpose and God. 

There were looks of profound intensity from all that passed through. 

The story that is told in the beauty of the paintings, in the 

history of the architecture, and the attempt of man-kind to replicate

the heavens, is worth every precious second of experiencing it in person. 

Michael Angelo's beautiful and moving,  'Pieta'.

St. Peter's Square, where the Pope sometimes speaks. 

Private living quarters.

St. Peter's Basilica 

Statues of The Saints line the colonnade. 

 We lingered in the cool shade of the colonnade.

This gives perspective of how grand everything is.  

Finally, with the changing of the guards, 

we force ourselves to walk away, turning back to gaze upon 

our amazing experience within the halls of the Eternal Quest. 

The balcony where the Pope sometimes stands. 

xoxo

Thank you for joining me, Dear Friends! 

Next time we will explore The Colosseum on our 

final day in Rome. 

xoxo

I am sending prayers this week to the Patron Saint of Storms,

 Saint Medardus, to protect all those in the path of nature's fury

and to especially watch over the very old, the very young, 

and the innocent creatures who have only Mercy to call upon. 

xoxo